News: New Dredd Pics Show Justice Being Dealt

Last time I reported on Dredd, things weren’t going so well. After a period of prolonged silence a few pictures have been released showing Ol’ Stoney Face in action, starting with the one up above. Karl Urban rocking a the perfect grimace and some bad-ass body armour. Shall we take a look at the rest? Of course we shall.

Psi-Judge Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) and Judge Dredd meting out justice, Lawgivers in hand. Check out the worn and broken walls in the background. May be a clue to the rumoured plot taking place in one of Mega City One‘s giant City Blocks, massive apartment buildings housing up to 50,000 people.

Seems Judge Dredd’s verdict is death. Of course, in 2000AD‘s twisted future, justice is instant with no right of appeal.

Psi-Judge Anderson blows the brains out of a perp… Or does she? The gun doesn’t seem to be firing, and the rumoured plot of her being a trainee on her first day out with the toughest Judge on the force, Dredd, means she might be reticent to do so. And as for Olivia Thirlby as Judge Anderson? She doesn’t quite match the ‘classic’ version I have in my head (check out Jamie McKelvie’s drawing, it’s fricking AWESOME), but she doesn’t offend my sensibilities like some of the hardcore.

It took some research (thanks IMDB), but I think this is Judge T.J. Alvarez (Deobia Oparei). Not sure what role he plays in the film, but considering he’s the other side of plate to Dredd you have to guess that they probably don’t get along.

It’s hard to judge (heh, I’m funny) a film by the promo pics, but I remain cautiously optimistic about Dredd despite the reported troubles. I think Urban is perfectly cast, he looks like the very early versions of Dredd, tall and lithe, the body armour and shoulder pads not freakishly huge and inappropriate (except possibly for that helmet). What we need is that first trailer. Hurry up, Lionsgate!

Dredd will be judged on UK cinema screens from the 21st September and whatever it’s like, it can’t possibly worse than Stallone’s Judge Dredd… Can it?